The Power of Autonomy ~Nico Bowden

The thing that defines a useful life is how beneficial it is to other people. This year, I had the privilege to participate in Students in Action, which helped me start to achieve this. It gave me both the tools and the means with which to help others, and this is how it went. My whole class was on the bus headed to a building in Quincy, not knowing what to expect. We have never been to a Students in Action conference– nobody from Fenn ever had. It is the Fall, and we did not have any idea what we would do in the following months; however, as a class, we tend to get things done. We can work together; we are compatible. However, we lack two things: time to get together and freedom from guidance. Because of this, my experience is not one that would be typical. One of the largest things that stuck out at the the second conference was a conversation the group had as a whole. This occurred during the table and plate exercise, which was not a really meaningful one, and instead of talking about the exercise itself, like we were assigned to, we talked about our plans. There were no teachers telling us what to focus on, no guidance except for our own. Yet, we accomplished more in that one sitting than in any of the meeting we had prior to that. It only lasted five minutes, probably less, but it was a very effective five minutes. The takeaway, then, is that without the guidance of teachers, we are much more effective. This was the time when we were most motivated to talk about the task at hand.Because of that experience, I know what we need to do to improve and accomplish our final goals. First of all, we need to put our heads down and answer all these questions set in front of us, but then we need to find a way to replicate the conversation we had during the second meeting. That would set a plan for the rest of the year on how to come out successfully and with as much grace as possible. So long as we know what we need to do, I am certain we can do it.